In Which We Learn How To Fly
by moment forever faded
Summary: Doctor Jonathan Crane was a devoted husband and father, who puts the lives of his family on the line when he becomes a part in the plot to destroy Gotham. He is also torn between the bond he made with evil and with his family and Batman.
1. Spread Your Wings

In Which We Learn How To Fly

By Leah Marie.

Chapter One: Spread Your Wings

Twenty-four year old Jonathan Crane's slender, long fingers agitatedly drummed upon the smooth leather steering wheel of his black BMW. It was 8:51 in the AM and he had to be situated and ready in class at 9:00 on the spot. Professor McGlynn would probably shoot him if he wasn't there. Jonathan was beginning his third year of medical school at Gotham Medical School of Medicine and Psychology. Brenden McGlynn, the superior in the Department of Psychology there had personally requested Jonathan to be his assistant for the first semester, and if it did not interfere with Jonathan's education, maybe the second semester as well. Just as the icy blue eyed student cursed the traffic and the imbeciles chatting mercilessly on their cell phones, the traffic became loose and sped up.

"Finally, at long last," Jonathan muttered out loud irritably. Going a few miles over the speed limit to get to school on time, Jonathan smoothly pulled into the driveway into Gotham Med, as he referred to his school. He came to a sharp halt with a screech and calmly speed walked into one of the many sets of glass doors. Jonathan took a quick left down a flight of stairs and when those ended, he turned yet another sharp left down, which lead into the Psychology Corridor. But in the midst of his hurry, Jonathan didn't notice a chestnut haired girl coming just as sharp as was he, but only in the opposite direction. With their senses not on top of things at nine in the morning, the two collided. The girl's coffee, which she held in her hand tightly, went flying onto her white blouse and gray blazer. The girl, who Jonathan had never seen before, gasped in surprise and shock.

"Oh, no!" she managed to gasp out at the stain that began to soak into her blouse. Jonathan, to say the least, had no idea what to do, to say the least. Only to stutter and say sorry.

"Oh, my. I'm so sorry, if I had any idea you were coming my way, I wouldn't have acted like such a fool. Oh, shit what can I do? Buy you a new blouse, pay for coffee? Anything?" Jonathan apologized hurriedly.

The girl, who was now wearing hot coffee, finally looked up at Jonathan. "Oh, no. Don't blame yourself. It's okay, I shouldn't have brought my coffee up with me in the first," scrunching her nose and eyebrows together, she looked down at her shirt and asked herself, " Why the hell did I bring my coffee with me?"

Jonathan didn't know what to do, so he just shrugged at her, as did she back. She continued, "Well if it helps, I'm not at all mad at you. I just don't want McGlynn to slaughter me. This is my first day and I've already made a scene." She shook her head at herself.

Jonathan's eyes widened, "Did you say McGlynn?"

She looked back at Jonathan, "Yeah, I'm in Psychology right now, advanced, I might add. Why do you ask?"

Jonathan swallowed, "Well, I'm his assistant for this semester."

The girl smiled, "Really now? For first period?"

He smiled, nodded his head, "First period."

The girl chuckled in amusement or relief, Jonathan really didn't know, "Well, maybe you'll have to tutor me through class when I just don't get stuff anymore."

"Well, I see no problem and no reason to turn your offer down," Jonathan replied. He looked back down to the girl's blouse at the light brown stain. "But about that stain, you want me to tell McGlynn you need to wash up?"

The girl looked down at herself again, "Oh damn, I almost forgot about that. But yes, that would be quite charming of you," she glanced at the clock on the wall above them. "But hey, you should get to class so neither of us gets in trouble here."

Jonathan followed her action by checking the time, "That would make a lot of sense."

The girl bit her lip nervously and quickly remarked, "Hey, by the way, my name is Eva. Eva Daniels."

Jonathan smiled, feeling heat go to his face, "Jonathan Crane, at your service, Miss Daniels."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sir Crane," she smiled brilliantly and turned to rush up the stairs to the bathrooms to try to get the stain off her blouse, Jonathan assumed.

He lingered in his spot and suddenly the first bell of the day broke his trance. Jonathan cursed as he raced to get to McGlynn's class. Thankfully, McGlynn was still at his desk, most likely making final notes for the lecture, whatever it may be. Jonathan walked over to the Irish-American's desk and cleared his throat.

The middle aged professor looked up with narrowed eyes, "You're late, Crane."

"I can explain that, Professor. I bumped into Eva Daniels as I was getting to class and the coffee she was carrying with her.. well she's now wearing it, sir."

If Jonathan thought he saw a hint of a smile on McGlynn's face, it disappeared immediately. "Miss Eva, you say?"

Jonathan nodded, "Yes, sir."

The professor jotted some notes on his attendance sheet, "You are both excused from tardiness."

"Thank you, sir," Jonathan muttered quietly.

McGlynn went into professor mode and ordered Jonathan to pull up a chair and sit next to him. He had Jonathan copy overhead transparencies for notes. About ten minutes into McGlynn's lecture and Jonathan's copying, a refreshed Eva walked into the room with a whole new outfit, minus her blue jeans and white flats. She went to the professor's desk and opened her mouth for her explanation, but McGlynn spoke before her, saying, "Crane here already informed me of your coffee mishap, Ms. Daniels. You are both excused."

Eva looked over to Jonathan and mouthed 'Thank you.' To the professor, she thanked him and took her seat for her professor's lecture.

After another ten minutes, Jonathan found it hard to not look at Eva. In class, he found it easier to actually look at her. She had dark brown hair that resembled his, that barely touched her shoulders. Her eyes were light green, maybe with flecks of brown? He did not know. She had a habit of biting her bottom lip, which was slightly larger than a normal bottom lip. It gave her character though. She was attentive as well, absorbing McGlynn's words for works of the mind. Jonathan's normally clear mind was consumed with thoughts of Eva. He had no idea why, but it was so.

After an hour, first period came to an end. Jonathan carefully sorted McGlynn's noted for him and handed them to him. He normally walked alone from class to class. Jonathan was mostly a quiet young adult, one who kept to himself. As far as he could remember, he was always like that. His friends in high school were always at least four years older than him, matching his maturity level. Girls were never really attracted to him because of his quietness, intelligence and, he supposed, eeriness. It never bothered him. He would not have expected them to understand who he was anyway. Considering all of this, when Jonathan caught sight of Eva leaning against the wall, Jonathan was more that shocked. She couldn't be waiting for him. When she realized he had seen her, Eva smiled.

"Hey, stranger," she greeted, pushing herself off the wall to walk towards him.

Jonathan was at a loss for words at the moment, but he managed to stutter out, "H-hi, Eva. what's up?"

Eva shrugged, rolling her eyes, "The ceiling, obviously. But really, nothing. I want to get through this day without dying."

Jonathan laughed, "It isn't that bad, Eva. I have to admit though, I felt that way on my first day. It dragged on forever, or so it felt."

"So, you feel my pain! If I dare ask, what year are you in?" Eva asked cautiously, as they entered into the main level of the school.

"Tis my third, making me twenty-four," Jonathan replied, adding his name in at random. Why, he did not know.

Eva smirked, "Lucky ass. Today's my first day ever and I am just a measly twenty-two."

Jonathan looked over at her, "Ah, Eva. You underestimate yourself. Twenty-two is not so bad. You still have a lot to do and to live. As for school.. you've got four years to go." Jonathan now smirked at her. The joke was on her. Eva lightly smacked Jonathan in the arm as she muttered that he was an ass. The joking and play name calling went on until the two had reached Jonathan's second period class, AP Chemistry Lab. They stopped outside the door.

"Well," Jonathan began, "I'm afraid I must depart from your company, my lady," he told her, "But, can I still offer you coffee and maybe lunch as repayment for earlier?"

Eva bit her bottom lip and blushed lightly, "That would be awesome, Jonathan. I'm pretty sure I'd love that."

Inside, Jonathan was cheering. Was this a date? He had never gone on dates before. He prayed that he would not make a fool of himself as he had this morning. But the accident had won him a friend. A friend who was intelligent, funny and beautiful. Jonathan felt his heart skip. Where is all this coming from? He decided he would think about it later, write it down in his journal. His mind snapped back to Eva before him and he decided their meeting place, "Alright, well.. hm. Meet me at the bottom of the steps outside after the lunch bell and we'll decided where we can go. Lunch is on me and we can go anywhere you like."

Eva yelped in glee, "Oh, Jonathan, you're such a doll. I've never met a guy like you before." Next, to Jonathan's amazement, Eva hugged him and whispered, "Thank you." She retreated out of t he embrace and walked to her class, a few seconds later, glancing behind her to smile at the awe-struck Jonathan Crane.


	2. Above The Ever Judging World

Chapter Two: Above The Ever-Judging World

Fourth period Advanced Psychopharmacology could not go any slower for Jonathan Crane. For the first time in a long time, he was anxious as a drug addict anticipating the next hit.

'Maybe not so anxious,' he thought to himself, 'But close.'

To calm his nerves, Jonathan twisted his black onyx ballpoint pen through his fingers, as if the pen traveling back and forth would make time go faster. But then he noticed the professor, a forty-something year old woman, Victoria Berking, flashing him warning looks to pay attention. With a little irritation, Jonathan went back to copying notes of information he already knew. Previously, in the summer, Jonathan had attending post-graduate classes on psychiatry, psychopharmacology and sociology. There, he had been tutored by a man he had assumed been from France or some other place in continental Europe. But, just like his tutor had instructed, he had not asked questions. It took him self control to not ask questions when the mystery instructor had presented Jonathan with a deep royal blue flower and asked him to somehow create a gas out of it. It has been little over a month since he had accepted the offer, but yet he had not touched the flower since. There was something about the man's eyes that, Jonathan felt out of his skin to admit, afraid. So he did not make a move to create anything from the flower.

Catching him off guard, the bell that would dismiss the students to lunch rang out and, again, interrupted Jonathan's random thoughts.

Quickly, he carelessly threw his belongings into his briefcase carrying case and actually lightly jogged out of the room, muttering "excuse me" to all the people he would bump into along the way.

It took Jonathan about a minute to get to the front doors, for he was back on the lower level of the building. By the time he had reached the stairs, he slowed down and opened the doors with a calm demeanor. His eyes scanned both sides of the stairs and on the left side, there was Eva, standing alone.

Clutching his case just a little bit more, Jonathan walked down the stone stairs to meet up with the waiting girl.

With a voice that sounded a little out of breath, Jonathan greeted Eva with a brisk, "Hey."

Eva turned her head in the direction of the voice and when she saw that it was Jonathan, a warm smile came to her face, "Hey, stranger. What's new and exciting with you?"

Jonathan shrugged. In all honestly, the chance to meet Eva, someone who didn't seem like every other girl he had come across, was quite new and exciting. Other than that, life for Jonathan had been pretty dull – same shit, different day. Except for the flower.

'Damn that flower,' Jonathan cursed it. What was so great about it? Why was he chosen to try and create a gas out of it? Jonathan tossed thoughts of the flower out of his head and his mind returned to the matter at hand.

"Nothing great, really. Just anticipating to know where we might be going for lunch," Jonathan replied with a smile.

Eva rolled her green eyes playfully and she too shrugged. "Doesn't matter, Jonathan. No need to treat me just because I was stupid," she said.

But Jonathan countered her comment by telling her that it was only right that he be the gentleman and take her out. So, on that note, the two medical school students decided on lunch at a restaurant calling Noodles and Company. There, only noodles and salad were sold.

That day, Jonathan Crane and Eva Daniels discovered a lot of things they had common. For instance, they were both vegetarians for the reasons of saving animals and also the health benefits. They also both adored animals as well. In her small apartment she lived with by herself, Eva had two cats, a female Siamese and a female Calico, who she adored with every passion. Jonathan had a two year old Dachshund male. He and his puppy shared a small townhouse that he had inherited from his grandmother. The two had also both discovered that they were pretty well off. The Crane family was one of the many prominent families in Gotham City and Eva's family was a wealthy one back in her homeland of England. Jonathan and Eva also shared an interest for the human mind and how it worked: why people did the things they did. Both believing the mind had a greater power over the body than the physical aspect, they had coincidentally deciding to go into careers that dealt with that matter.

Jonathan was on his way to become a psychiatrist, while Eva was just starting down the down to become a criminal psychologist.

The hour that the two had for lunch flew by like minutes. Before they knew it, Jonathan and Eva had five minutes to get back to Gotham Med before the bell sounded.

As the two sped walked down the hall, Eva said, "You know, that lunch was pretty damn lovely."

Jonathan gave her a surprised look, "Well, thanks. I have to say I enjoyed it, too."

As they came to a halt, Eva suggested, "Maybe we could do that again some day." She turned to grab something out of her purse. Jonathan discovered that it was a pen and a scrap piece of paper. Quickly, she scratched something down and handed it to Jonathan. He took it from her hand and read it.

It was her number.

Jonathan attempted to hide a smile but he found it hard. "Well, I suppose it's only nice to give you mine, eh?"

But Eva shook it off, "No, hey. Just meet me down by the stairs where I was waiting for you at lunch. You can give it to me then, because I don't know if you noticed, Jonathan, but we're going to be late." As she was about to turn away, Eva said, "Thanks for the lunch!" and rushed to her next class.

Jonathan did the same as well, but at a bit slower pace. A girl had never given him her number before.

'Wow,' Jonathan thought gleefully, 'Maybe this year won't be so bland after all.'

Coming to his senses, Jonathan, for the second time that day, jogged to his next class.

And Jonathan Crane never jogged.

--

Medical School dragged on hopelessly for Jonathan. But as all days come to an end, this one did as well. Trying to stay collected, Jonathan took a simple left turn to go out the doors. He did not expect Eva to be there yet. The bell had only just rang a few seconds ago. So he took his time to take out a clean sheet of paper and copy down his house and cell phone number. Feeling satisfied with just his name and numbers, Jonathan placed the little piece of paper in his pocket. Just as he did this, he caught sight of Eva walking out of one set of glass doors. She looked worn and a little worn out from her first day. Jonathan felt her pain; it happened to the good.

A look of relief flashed on her face when she saw Jonathan, but the tiredness in her eyes could not be concealed.

When she reached him, she uttered a quiet, "Hey," rubbing her eyes as she did.

Jonathan tsked her, "Tired much, Eva?"

Eva shrugged, smiling a little, "Just a little much." Adding to her tiredness, she yawned a huge yawn and screamed she needed some rest.

At the moment, Jonathan's eyes widened in remembrance and he pulled out the piece of paper from his suit jacket pocket. "I believe I was to give this to you after lunch," he informed her as he handed Eva the numbers.

Eva nodded her head as she quickly scanned Jonathan's numbers.

"Sounds like a deal," she said. Before Jonathan could say anything, Eva added, "So if I ever wanted to get a hold of you, which of these could I call?"

That took Jonathan by surprise. He wasn't much of a socialite. He did not do a lot of talking besides it having to do with school, his parents, his pets and well.. whatever else was needed to be talked about at the time. It only made sense to Jonathan when he replied, "Cell phone, most likely. I don't go out that much so you could call either one."

Eva rolled her eyes and chuckled, "You're impossible, Jonathan, utterly impossible. But yeah, I'll give you a call tonight, that's a guarantee."

Jonathan tilted his head to the side a little bit and smiled, "But aren't you a little tired, Eva? You look exhausted."

"Thanks!" Eva responded seriously, but her wide smile countered it. "No, you're right. I am really tired. Who knew after getting threw twelve years of elementary, middle and high school, plus four grueling years of college, I could find medical school hard?" to answer her own question, Eva shrugged. "I'll probably nap until supper and perhaps call you when I'm done?"

'Why couldn't there be other girls like her?' Jonathan thought, 'So open and honest, with nothing to hide. In addition, pretty easy on the eyes.'

He snapped back to reality, "You could call after dinner, after dessert or at midnight, Eva. It really doesn't matter."

"Well, I'd have to say even with your wide variety of options, Jonathan, I think I'm still going to call after dinner," Eva replied. She crossed her arms across her chest, as if she was challenging him in some secret fashion.

Jonathan did the same motion, challenging her, "Well, after dinner it is, Ms. Daniels."

Eva reached into her purse and dug in it for a few seconds before fishing out a set of keys. She also pulled out a stick of gum and stuck it in her mouth. "Well, Sir Crane, I'm going to be off to take my much anticipated nap. I shall call you when my dinner is over."

"Until then, my lady," Jonathan said to her as she departed with a slight curtsy.

As she looked back, Eva smiled, blushing just a little bit, "Until then."

Jonathan watched Eva's retreating form until he could not see her anymore. When she was out of eye sight, Jonathan took his keys out of his briefcase and went to his Beemer. After unlocking it and sticking the key in the ignition, he did not drive off as he usually did. Instead, Jonathan sat and thought. It was something he did quite commonly but it was typically on pointless things that normal people don't go into deep thought about. This time, he thought about Eva and how much better he felt meeting someone who radiated kindness, yet intelligence at the same time. She was beautiful, Jonathan admitted to himself, but it was natural.

Feeling chipper, Jonathan clicked a button he had not clicked since, well, he had purchased his BMW: the radio. The song playing currently sounded like one of the disco feel good love songs he had heard his mother play the words talked about a man not meaning to hurt his "sugar baby love" and making mistakes saying sorry and love who you have. As much as his ego was telling him to turn the whiny beg for forgiveness off, Jonathan kept it on. It made him feel good, like something had been awakened. He smiled as he drove and the feeling didn't leave for a long, long time.

--

So the song Jonathan hears when he turns on the radio is "Sugar Baby Love" by the Rubettes. It is on the Breakfast on Pluto soundtrack and I adore that song.

Thank you for reading, dears. NO FLAMES, PLEASE. Constructive criticism, if you may. Thank you!


	3. We're Home

This chapter really doesn't consist of that much conversation. It basically explains the first six months of Jonathan and Eva's relationship, how they grew to feel about each other and how they changed each other in different ways. Explaining six months worth of feelings growing is a long chapter to write, so I took the easy route and summarized the situation(s). Jonathan doesn't become Doctor Crane until the next few chapters or so and Bruce is, obviously, gone. Rachel will be coming up soon but basically, for now, my focus is Jonathan and Eva, or sometimes she will be called Evangeline.

It's her real name.

Thank You!

Chapter Three: We're Home

When Jonathan arrived home that day, he took a glance at the blue flower, which he had locked away in his safe. After a few moments, he put it back in the glass container and shoved it back into the safe, keeping it away from prying eyes. As if there was anyone that would want to look. Jonathan waited anxiously for Eva to call him, like she had promised.

And eventually, she did call. At seven at night, the time when people would just be ending dinner. The same thing happened each night for six months. During those months, Eva and Jonathan became dear friends, best friends you could almost say. After a month of knowing each other, the two began dating, when after taking Eva out to Noodles, Jonathan had kissed her for the first time. Eva had remarked that it "sealed the deal" and kissed him back.

There was no turning back for them.

Soon after that, the two medical students began to make their separate worlds revolve around each other. Like lovestruck high school kids, Jonathan and Eva discovered the "marvelous world of text messaging," as Eva jokingly called it. The two texted each other back and forth during the classes they did not have together, which was all except for first hour Psychology. There, Eva and Jonathan would mouth whole conversations back and forth, making jokes and laughing at which ever one of them could not understand what the other was saying. Truly, neither of them felt more above the world ever before. As the two became closer and began to confide in each other things they'd never told anyone before, it became that they saw each other everyday after school. Almost. On some days, Eva would trail Jonathan home in her car from Gotham Med or vice versa. But usually, Eva would go to Jonathan's house, stating that it was "just plain better and not in the Narrows." As Eva was Jonathan's first true, steady girlfriend, he did whatever he could to keep her emotionally satisfied. But whenever the subject really didn't matter, the two would go to Eva's apartment in the somewhat better part of the Narrows. It was small, but roomy, plus Eva's two cats stayed there and she didn't want them to be lonelier than they probably already were.

Quite openly and willingly, Eva let Jonathan into her world, where a single movie made her cry and dreams came not just during sleep. One of the things Jonathan had grown to enjoy was watching movies with Eva. Before meeting her, Jonathan wasn't the most outgoing person in the world. He hardly watched TV or listened to music, unless it was the news. Instead, he would envelop himself in hi s advanced studies since he had moved out of his parent's house in eastern Gotham. He found that Eva had the brilliant ability to make him smile, laugh and have a grand time. Jonathan discovered that sitting down, watching movies and snacking on popcorn with someone you cared deeply about was quite invigorating. Or simply laying down, just holding Eva; it was almost heavenly. Usually, at around eleven at night, either one of the partner's would leave their other half's house. Eventually, whoever was staying over until eleven ended up staying over night. It was usually Eva and after a month of constantly staying over at Jonathan's, she moved her cats into Jonathan's house, with his permission, of course. There was only one obstacle to overcome, however: Jonathan's dog and Eva's cats getting along. Seeing as Frodo was the same size as Eva's cats, Oreo and Angel, perhaps smaller, it didn't take long for the three animals to get along. Four months later however, things were about to change. One evening, Jonathan and Eva were talking about nothingness on the phone. It was one of the few, rare occasions that Eva was not at Jonathan's house. She was cooking herself a vegetable stir fry since she had just arrived home from the pet store. Jonathan laughed as Eva began to tell him she had purchased his Miniature Dachshund, Frodo, a number of toys and treats galore.

"You didn't have to Eva, I know how to shop for my own pet perfectly fine," he argued. He heard Eva sigh through the phone.

"I'm not doubting your shopping skills, darling. I only adore Frodo, almost as much as I adore you."

Jonathan smiled against the silver cell phone. "Well, I adore you more, Eva. And while we're on that topic, I've got to ask you something," he added with a serious tone. He still heard Eva's wondrous stir fry sizzling into the phone. She would be pretty shocked, damn shocked. Her reply was a smacking of lips sounds, for which Jonathan assumed she was tasting her food.

She responded a moment later, "Which is?"

On the other line, Jonathan ran a slender hand through his dark brown hair, making it messy. "It's been almost five months since we've began dating, Eva and I already know that I love you," Jonathan took a deep breath after his confession. He hadn't expected himself to reveal the truth so soon, but it was a truth that was burning his soul. He waited for a response on the other end of the line. What he heard was nothing. Nothing except the sizzling of vegetables in a frying pan and silence.

'This is it,' Jonathan thought sadly to himself, 'I've scared her away. I've lost someone great; someone that changed my life around for the better.'

Jonathan heard her breath, shaky and slow. 'She's most likely thinking it through,' his string of thoughts continued, 'Eva tends to think a lot and very deep about things.'

Finally, Eva spoke, "Do you mean it, Jonathan? Truly and completely?" her voice was uncertain and scared, but urging.

Jonathan was taken aback.

"Of course I mean it truly, Eva. I'm not looking to hurt you, cause you pain and leave your love and trust shattered," Jonathan paused, "I'm here to love and care for you. Will you do the same, Eva?" Jonathan heard his girlfriend breathe into the phone.

"Yes. Yes, I will, Jonathan."

He felt his heart soar and he felt something a little odd on his face. He was grinning from ear to ear, as a Cheshire cat would. "You-you will?" Now Jonathan was the shaky one.

'What other surprises lie ahead if this is happening?'

He heard Eva's lively laughter flow into his eardrums.

"Of course, Jonathan," she paused briefly, "I've loved you since the first month we met. But how could I tell you when we weren't even dating? I didn't want to make you run away and lose everything that made renewed life and made it brilliant. You know, if it was anyone else who spilled coffee on my blouse on the first day of school, I would've probably slapped them in the face."

Jonathan pursed his thin lips together. She had loved him for that long? He had been keeping his emotions in for only one month. He pondered what it would have been like to hold that deep of an emotion in. Instead of asking Eva any questions doubting her feelings, he inquired, "Why didn't you slap me, then?"

Another pause. "I just knew you were something good."

That sealed it for Jonathan's mind. It was love. So, when he asked Eva to move in with him, it came flying out of his mouth on an impulse. He had expected her to not answer back and ask "When?"

Jonathan, a tad flabbergasted, replied, "Well, as soon as you pack up your worldly possessions and put your apartment for sale, come and live with me." In his mid-twenties, Jonathan felt he was finally living the teenage life he could never live.

He heard Eva click her tongue on her hard palate," Well, I can't turn down living with an irresistible man such as yourself, so I suppose I have no choice but to accept your offer.

Jonathan almost dropped his phone, not realizing how sweaty his hands had become.

"You mean you'll seriously pack up your stuff, sell your place, haul it all here and just simply live out with me?" Jonathan asked, still in a state of shock.

Eva chuckled and exclaimed, "Yes Jonathan, stop doubting me!"

Jonathan chuckled nervously, "Well, it's so odd, you know? Everything is coming together so quick," he explained.

Eva agreed, "Coming together for the better, though."

"Yeah, I think so, too," he paused to relish the fact that he and his girlfriend had just taken a huge step in their relationship. He then asked, "You want to come when you're done eating, maybe crash with me? After all, it is a Friday," Jonathan added with a hint of mischief in his voice. He thought it would've been lovely to take Eva out for dinner, but remembered at the moment, she was making her own dinner. He thought dessert and asked, "You want to bring the stir fry and we can eat together, then?"

He heard Eva's laugh ring out, "Wow, anxious are we darling?"

Jonathan shrugged, "I only want to see you, Eva."

"Good enough answer for me. And yes, I'll stay the night and bring my dinner. Let me freshen up and I'll see you in fifteen minutes, okay? I love you, Jonathan." The final four words came without regret. It was like music to Jonathan's ears.

As if on habit, he said it back, "I love you too, Eva." He could picture her smiling as she said her final, "Bye, darling," and the two cell phones clicked off. The future doctor was in awe of what had been transpired.

It was nearly heaven.

--

For dinner with Eva that night, Jonathan pulled out his parent's old chinaware. He wished he could have introduced Eva to his parents or vise versa.

'But..' Jonathan began to think back to four years ago, when he was a freshman of Gotham University. Suddenly, he had a flashback of a woman drowning in a body of water, screaming for help. Help that, to Jonathan's unwavering anger, never came. The flashback became violent as his mother began to sink into the murky depths. Jonathan dropped the plate he was holding and it shattered across the wooden floor. He began to back up until he could go on no further. In fear, Jonathan rolled himself into the fetal position; his mother's dying pleas fading into the sea of his mind. That was how Eva found her boyfriend ten minutes later. Frodo was lovingly laying in a ball at the base of Jonathan's feet, while Oreo sat at the peak of the refrigerator, watching. Angel was passed out on the couch. As Eva approached, Frodo began to whine. She went down on her knees, not only to pet the miniature Dachshund, but to talk to Jonathan also. He wordlessly stretched his legs out and looked at Eva. She was worried.

"What happened?" Eva whispered as Frodo walked out of her embrace to go to her owners. Jonathan let his dog on his lap and refused to look at Eva as he spoke.

"It was my mother." He knew Eva knew nothing of his parents, except that his father had been killed when he was ten. The Cranes had sued the city of Gotham and gotten the largest sum possible. He had never discussed his mother until now. "She drowned when I was a freshman in college. My life was broken until I met you."

Eva's only response was a smile. Another think Jonathan loved about Eva was that she knew when to not ask too many questions. He could, however, see the sadness and sympathy in her bright green eyes. She gently outstretched her hands, motioning him to hold them. Sadly smiling, Jonathan took Eva's hands and kissed the knuckles lightly. Their arms swung in unison. Eva glanced around the kitchen and noticed the broken chinaware on the floor. She motioned her head towards the mess and suggested quietly, "Come on, darling. Let's clean up and eat dinner. I'm famished."

Jonathan nodded, "Sounds brilliant." The couple arose; Eva went to sweep up the broken china and Jonathan prepared the rest of the meal. Not more than ten minutes later, Eva prepped to wash dishes, while Jonathan sat, getting ready to towel dry. It was a simple system that Eva had brought into Jonathan's life and he was beginning to enjoy and conform to it more and more. After cleaning up, Eva and Jonathan popped in a movie: the Shawskank Redemption. Eva rested her head on Jonathan's lap as he ran his fingers through her thick hair. As the credits rolled, Jonathan stretched his neck to see if his girlfriend was asleep. Indeed, she was out and probably had been for awhile. He smiled lovingly and carefully motioned Frodo to move off the couch. Jonathan cautiously slid his hand under Eva's necklace bearing neck and the other beneath her knees. Gathering strength, Jonathan stood up with Eva in his arms. He slowly carried her into his room and tucked her into the thick, dark blue comforter. Jonathan noted her deep sleep and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. He left her to rest alone for the rest of the night while he gathered a pillow and blanket so he could fall asleep on his living room couch.


	4. It Flies By

This chapter goes pretty quick. I just wanted to get it out of the way. Enjoy.

Chapter Four: It Flies By

Two weeks after Jonathan had suggested the idea that Eva move in with him, Jonathan got his wish. In only a matter of days, Eva began to collect boxes from her closet, Jonathan, and her friends in order to pack up her things. He knew Eva was relieved that she could finally get out of the Narrows and be with someone who loved and appreciated her – someone who would keep her safe. As everyone knew, the Narrows wasn't the safest place to live, especially for someone as brilliantly beautiful as Evangeline Daniels. After school, Jonathan was traditionally over at Eva's almost everyday, assisting her in getting ready. And in two weeks, she was. And as Jonathan witnessed Eva toss the keys to her now ex-landlady, he noticed her do something completely out of her character: she did not kindly bid her goodbye or really say anything to be blunt. To make up for it, Jonathan gave the landlady a slight wave. All he got back was a narrowing of the eyes. He commented to Eva, "She's kind of a snob, isn't she?"

Eva scrunched her face all together, "A flat out bitch. That's what she is, Jonathan."

Jonathan rolled his eyes as he placed the two remaining boxes in the trunk of Eva's car dark blue Jetta. His fiery Eva, never afraid to express her true feelings. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her into his chest, where he held her tightly.

"Well, you don't have to worry about "bitches" like that anymore, darling. We're starting anew with each other and you're just going to forget about this place." He smiled reassuringly and kissed Eva's forehead lightly. He heard her breathe out through her nose.

"New starts are always good," she said quietly, holding him so he wouldn't leave. They stayed like that for a few minutes until they unglued themselves and got into the car. The fifteen minute drive from Eva's old place to their shared place was taken in silence. Eva and Jonathan were both intellectual people, using quiet moments, like car rides, to think and dwell. It's what Jonathan did the most and was no different on that day. One of the things he thought of was his relationship. Eva and Jonathan were not yet sexual, but he wondered if that would change once they adapted into living together. He clearly recalled a conversation they had about three months ago. They were talking about families, getting married and having children. Eva had told him that it was her dream to settle down and have two children: the eldest, a girl and a younger boy. Just maybe, a younger girl, but Eva wasn't certain. Jonathan wondered if he could be the one Eva would choose to settle down with for the rest of her life and be the man to father her children. He wondered, oh how he wondered.

Jonathan leaned back into the leather seat and rolled his head to the left to look at Eva. He smiled at her, "Hey beautiful."

He saw her blush, a rosy tint climbing up her cheeks.

"What's up?" she asked, trying to ignore the fact that he was staring at her, and Jonathan knew all too well that Eva couldn't concentrate when he was staring at her.

"What?" he responded playfully, "I can't call my lovely darling beautiful?" He smirked slyly. He saw her roll her eyes.

"Oh, you can call me beautiful anytime you want, darling. Anytime when you're not staring at me when I'm driving. You know damn well I can't keep my focus on anything when you stare at me," Eva paused to dwell on her thoughts. Jonathan watched her slowly press down the brake pedal. He took the chance.

"What are you thinking of?" he asked quietly. In the sixth months they had been together, Jonathan grew to discover that Eva couldn't keep a thing from him. She was a horrible liar. He knew this not because she had ever lied to him, but because she could never hide a thing from him. Eva confided everything to Jonathan, and he to her. Well, almost. But Jonathan didn't want to think about that himself, yet alone have it bother Eva.

Eva shook her head, "I've never been like that before. Even when I had to step in front of the largest crowd of people, I didn't freak out. And when you look at me, even for a second, I'm nervous. I'm shaky and scared but so happy at the same time." Eva looked at him, forgetting she was in the middle of a road. "I'm in love with you Jonathan and I don't think I can even bear being with anyone else."

As the stoplight turned from red to green, Eva began to cry. She pressed on the gas and went off. Jonathan rubbed his temples and afterwards shoved his hand into a pocket. The smooth velvet of the box that held the ring Jonathan had just bought a week previous. He knew how early it was in the relationship to purpose to Eva, but he couldn't deny it either. He was hopelessly devoted to Evangeline Marie Daniels and he highly doubted he could stand to see her leave. And she had just confessed the same. Suddenly, the car came to a halt.

They were home. Jonathan decided no more time could be wasted. Jonathan Crane was usually a rational man, but that day, it all went to hell. He jumped out of the car and ran to the driver's side, swinging the door open.

Eva really didn't have time to respond, except to say, "What the hell, Jonathan?"

By that time, Jonathan was on one knee, kneeling at Eva's ballerina flats covered feet. The royal purple velvet box was open. Lying inside was the most beautiful ring Jonathan could find and he prayed Eva would love it as well. Usually, Jonathan had the words for everything to make it just right. But now, he didn't have a thing planned. So he went off on the first thing he could think of.

"Evangeline Marie, I love you more than I've ever dreamed I could. Just before I met you, little things like slow traffic pissed me off, but ever since you've been with me, I haven't given a damn. You've made my life worth more than it's ever been worth before. When I wake up, I know I just won't go to school, come home, work, eat, work more and go sleep. You give me variety. I'm attached to you, I'm in love with you. Your smile sets something off in me that I've never known before. I want you to be there for now until forever," Jonathan took a much needed breath. Eva still sat before him, now with her eyes bulging wide and glistening. He concluded, "Evangeline Marie Daniels, will you do me the honor and be my wife?"

He saw Eva stare at the ring with her lips parted. Suddenly, she threw her face into her hands and began to cry. Jonathan's bright blue eyes widened in fear. He sat up and put his arms around her.

"Oh, darling. I'm sorry if you aren't ready. I just love you, I just want .." Jonathan was forced to stop when Eva threw her arms around him and continued to bawl.

"Yes!" she said into his shirt. Jonathan carefully pulled her away and cradled her face in his hands.

He looked at her straight in the eyes, green to blue and asked, "What do you say?"

Eva closed her eyes tightly and let a few more tears fall out of her eyes, "I said, 'Yes,' Jonathan. Yes, I will marry. Yes, I will stay by you forever." She held him tighter and Jonathan only continued to be in a daze. When it hit him that he was going to be a married man, Jonathan wrapped his arms around Eva again, this time swinging her around in the air and stretched his neck to kiss her. Jonathan laughed in happiness and Eva sniffed away her tears as he set her down in the driveway.

Wiping away the tears, Eva commented, "So this means I'm the future Mrs. Jonathan Crane, doesn't' it?"

Jonathan's grin couldn't' have been wider. "I'm pretty damn sure it does," he grabbed her hands and looked at her lovingly. He still couldn't believe Eva had said yes and that he had actually purposed. It was insane, but Jonathan was eternally thankful the craziness had happened. "I love you, Eva. So much, I don't have words. And that's a tad out of character for me."

Eva unlocked their hands and stepped forward, looking at him deep in the eyes, "As I do, darling. I don't think there isn't much I couldn't do for you." They held each other for a long time, forgetting about time and there, there it was only them. Jonathan felt Eva grip the white cotton of his shirt as she told the world through her motions that he was hers and that she belonged to him.

After a matter of minutes, Eva uncovered her face from Jonathan's shirt and locked at him straight in the eyes. "Jonathan," she said simply.

He tucked two fingers underneath her chin, "Eva."

"I want you to make love to me."

Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "You're forward, aren't you darling?"

She smiled shyly, "Only for you, Jonathan. For your eyes only."

Jonathan returned the smile and kissed her lightly, "Are you sure you want to?" Jonathan knew all too well he wanted to be united body and soul with Eva, but he could not and would not rob her of something so precious.

Her green eyes rolled, "I wouldn't have told you if I didn't want you to, Jonathan." She crossed her arms. "I don't think I've been so sure of something before."

Jonathan sighed, "You're an angel, Evangeline Marie. My angel."

Their hands joined as the walked through the front door of the house that was now to be both Jonathan's and Eva's. Eva leaned against the door, her hand creeping behind her back to lock the door. She wrapped her creamy arms around his neck and whispered back as he began to kiss her passionately, "And you are mine."

--

Perhaps a full throttle love scene later. Too early in the story for that. Thanks!


	5. Broken Security

About those oh, so wonderful ones who have been reviewing: thank you so much! You have no idea what your feedback means to me and it made my day today, seeing as I just got fired, so thank you again. And here I present to you the next chapter in my story. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: Broken Security

The morning sun shined into the newly shared bedroom of a certain Jonathan Crane and his girlfriend, Evangeline Daniels. Jonathan should know; it's what woke him up the next morning after he had proposed to Eva. To prove to himself that it was not a dream, Jonathan turned his body to face her. And there she was, tucked under an array of blankets that were all messy because of last night.

Jonathan smiled to himself, 'Too utterly amazing,' he thought. Eva reminded Jonathan of the angels he had always heard about during Sunday school, or what he had interpreted them as. Her dark brown hair was messy, tossed around her head and her skin was creamy, like smooth marble. In sleep, Eva looked calm and at peace and he wanted nothing else to be in the place he was: lying next to her. Jonathan's mind began to drift from where he was six months ago to where he was now: with an angel, his fiancée and hopefully, Jonathan prayed, the future wife of his children. It was a future that was a long ways away, but one could never cease to dream. Jonathan turned on his right side so he could face Eva's back, but what he saw with her shining green eyes, glistening in the early morning light. The angelic image had been completed in Jonathan's mind.

She smiled at him and greeted with a simple, "Morning, handsome," and reached a smooth, thin hand out to smooth the side of his clean shaven face.

The smile Jonathan returned radiated just as much, perhaps even more sparkle than Eva's did and out of the blue, leaned over plant a heartwarming kiss on her lips. As he pulled away, Jonathan replied, "Morning, love," and reached for her hand, which he brought to his lips to kiss, claim as his.

He heard Eva chuckle softly and when he looked up, he saw her bite her bottom lip, like she always did. Eva intertwined her fingers with Jonathan's and he rubbed the gold band that was shining on her finger. The silence was all the two lovers needed right now and they seemed to be enjoying every minute of it.

--

The life that was made up of living with your other half worked splendidly for Eva and Jonathan. They wasted no time in shopping to find things for the house that matched both their personalities. Jonathan began to loosen up about things he had been so stiff about in the past and let Eva make most of the choices. She was a great interior decorator as far as his knowledge comprehended. They painted, re-decorated the bathrooms and basement and did some serious spring cleaning. Everyone saw the happiness radiating off the young lovers' faces, even the people who shouldn't be…

Eva was working her way up to becoming a criminal psychologist. Her father had worked in the forensics department back in Surrey, England and she found no other better way than to follow in his footsteps. She was fascinated by what made criminals what they were and why they did what they did. Just this simple fact put her on some people's bad side. After Eva had moved out of the Narrows, Jonathan never worried about her going out by herself; he thought his neighborhood was as safe as could be. That was until one night in July. At the time, Eva had just teamed up with the Gotham Police Department in the Forensics Department to volunteer what she could about recent crimes deep in the Narrows.

The crime rate was increasing rapidly in Gotham and had been for the past year or so, maybe even before that. There were a growing number of robberies and random murders, so it appeared. Whenever Jonathan heard about a murder on the radio or news, he'd click it off immediately. It reminded him too much about his parents. Jonathan was thankful he had someone who understood his solitude and left him be, never asking questions. But Jonathan tried to keep his mind on the things that made him happy, like his life and Eva.

He couldn't comprehend the pride her felt for her. It was an honour for a young woman who had just completed the first year of medical school and was only twenty-two years old. Jonathan couldn't have been any happier for his fiancée, for he showered her with love, compliments and cuddles whenever he could. For almost a year, things had been going perfectly for the young couple. In a few months, Jonathan and Eva were to be wed; they were planning on the ceremony to take place in September and hopefully in a gorgeous church in Boston. And in January, Jonathan was to graduate from Gotham Med and continue on to a residency in downtown Gotham as a doctor. The future was looking bright for the two medical students, who had so much to look forward to. But one night, the sense of security and happiness was broken…

Like mentioned before, it was in the middle of July and by this time in their relationship, Jonathan and Eva had made a habit of going for evening walks to the local park that was only four blocks away from their house. This evening was no different. The couple left around seven, when the sun was on the verge of setting and sky was a brilliant mix of purple, blue and pink. It was beautiful, like any other sunset they had seen. As they walked down the streets, hand in hand, Jonathan turned to Eva.

"What do you want to do when we get married? I mean, do you want to stay here in Gotham, get out of here or…" Jonathan trailed off, unsure of telling Eva his intentions of starting a family.

Eva halted the stroll on the sidewalk and gave Jonathan a concerned look, "What are you getting at, Jonathan?" she asked.

As he always did when he was nervous, Jonathan ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "I'm not sure, Eva. But ever since we've become engaged, or even before that, I've wanted to start a family. And that is spectacular because before I met you, I never wished to have a family. I'd be emotionally and mentally complete if I could have a family with you. I suppose I'm asking you if you would like the same." Jonathan tried to keep looking at Eva, but he found it difficult; her gaze was just as intense as his.

With an aura of mystery, Eva stepped up to Jonathan, smiling brilliantly and cupped his face with both hands and planted an amazing kiss on his lips. Jonathan felt his eyes widened, but softened into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up. Jonathan took her actions as a "yes."

A few seconds later, Eva pulled away, with her hands still on his face and responded clearly and firmly, "Why the hell wouldn't I want to have your children, Jonathan?"

Jonathan had nothing better to do but shrug, smile and laugh. Eva followed his actions and they kissed for the second time in less than a minute on the street. Afterwards, they continued walking, for their park was only a block away.

Eva turned to Jonathan, "So, since all the while you've been thinking about being a father, have you ever thought of names?" she had a joking look her in eyes, but Jonathan knew she was being serious.

He raised his eyes to the sky in thought. In all honesty, he never gave names that much thought. But since he was half Irish, he thought an Irish name would be nice, so that's what he told his fiancée.

In thought, Eva bit her lip, "I don't know, I always thought if I had baby girl, I'd name her Liliana. Not sure what her middle name would be, but there's time."

"Indeed, we have a long time," Jonathan replied.

By this time, they had reached the park and were walking in the direction of their favorite bench. It was located under a large oak tree, overlooking the park. When they arrived, they look their usual places: sitting next to each other, hand in hand and with Eva's head resting on Jonathan's shoulder, his head on top of hers.

As they watched the setting sun, Eva commented, "You know what, Jonathan? You know you've found somebody special when you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence." 1

This made Jonathan laugh out loud, as much as it was out of character for him. "You would quote 'Pulp Fiction' love, you would."

Eva smiled, "Yes, I just have."

Suddenly, a voice neither of the two had ever heard spoke from behind them, "You won't be quoting anymore shit if you don't shut up."

Jonathan's blue eyes widened in horror and he felt Eva tense up next to him. He squeezed her hand, attempting to reassure the terrified Eva.

"Please, sir," Jonathan tried shakily, "Take our money, take our credit cards, take whatever you want. Please, don't harm my fiancée or myself. I'm begging you, have mercy." Jonathan prayed his plea would make the man go away. His prayer would go unanswered.

He heard the criminal scoff, "What if I told you I didn't want your money?" Jonathan's heart skipped and he felt Eva shudder, "What if I told you I wanted your pretty little girlfriend here?" Less than a second later, before Jonathan could speak, he heard a gun click. After the click, Eva screamed.

The bastard had just put a gun to Eva's head.

In response to Eva's scream, the criminal punched the back of Eva's head and yelled, "Shut the fuck up, bitch. You want to put me behind bars, I'll put the iron behind your head."

Jonathan felt the fear accumulate in his beautiful fiancée and in the rage he possessed, Jonathan let go of Eva's hand. He was not sure if he would live through the evening if he did this, but he felt it was the only way he could save his love. He pulled his arm back and made his fist into a ball. A memory flashed into his brain of one of his friend's telling him he could do a hell of a lot of damage with his hands; they were so bony. For the first time ever, Jonathan put that advice to good use. Like a spring, his arm flew forward, colliding with the bastard's temple. Everything was in slow motion. So many things happened at once. Eva jumped onto the ground at Jonathan's feet and a shot rang out. Adrenaline pumped through Jonathan's veins and fear took hold of him. Automatically, he assumed the crook had shot Eva and he prepared to jump over the bench to beat the life out of him. But, as he looked down, he saw Eva alive and well. Confused, he looked in the distance and saw the Gotham City Police standing in front of the wooded area, bordering the park. They were just lowering their guns. From the line of officers, Jonathan recognized Officer Jim Gordon. Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief and kneeled to the ground to retrieve Eva. She didn't look well. Her creamy skin was streaked with tears, her green eyes paralyzed with fear. Her body shook as well. Eva sat up and silently held Jonathan's hand tightly. She bit her lips rapidly and the tears still flowed from red, swollen eyes.

Suddenly, Eva yelped as she flung herself into Jonathan's embrace, letting the tears flow freely. "Jonathan, please don't let me leave you," she exclaimed with so much pain and fear that quiet tears fell from his eyes as well, "Please don't let them take me from you."

Swallowing his fear away, Jonathan stroked her dark hair and replied, "I swear to you, Eva no one will take you from me. I'm not leaving you, I swear on everything I am. He's dead, the bastard is dead. He can't hurt us anymore."

Eva sobbed, muttered, "Oh God," as she did. With a little force, Jonathan got a very emotion-stricken Eva to her feet and led her to Officer Gordon. His eyes expressed high concern for Eva. He made eye contact with her and handed her tissue. "Can you tell me what happened, Ms. Daniels?"

Eva sniffed away the stuff inside her throat that was choking her up and spoke very quietly, "Jonathan and I were sitting on that bench over there," Eva stretched out her finger to the bench without looking, "and a minute or two later, whoever he was, was behind us and threatened both Jonathan and I. later, we found out he wanted to kill me," Eva paused. This was obviously very difficult for her. She swallowed and continued, "He punched me in my head and put his gun to my head afterwards. Then Jonathan attacked him," Eva stopped to look at him. Jonathan comfortingly placed a kiss on her forehead and she concluded, "I'd be dead if it wasn't for him."

The words touched Jonathan immensely, but he was dying to know who had wanted to harm his Eva. Officer Gordon seemed to read the young man's mind.

"Do you know who the man was, Eva? Did you even look?" Gordon's eyes trailed over to the motionless body of the criminal.

Eva shook her head, "No. Too scared."

"Well, let me tell you," Gordon began, "Remember the project you were working on? You were trying to catch backstreet rapist, Colin Dastram?"

The name struck a chord in Jonathan's memory. He recalled Eva telling him about him one time after coming home from the police station.

Eva shook her head, "Yes." Realization overtook her and immediately, she swung her head around to look at the man who tried to kill her. Jonathan had followed her and his eyes narrowed. He would dare to touch her…

Eva covered her mouth with her hand and walked away, taking Jonathan with her. She looked at him, "We were this close to putting him behind bars," Eva made an estimation with her hand that was about an inch, "We only had to track him down," she bowed her head, "I guess he found me first."

Jonathan raised her chin with two fingers, "He's gone, Eva. He can't hurt us," he lightly kissed Eva and wrapped his arms around her. Gordon walked up to them and put one hand on each of their arms. "Come on, you lovebirds. I'll drive you home."

The two gladly accepted. The short drive home was taken with silence.

--

1 – Pulp Fiction (1994)

Yes, I suppose this chapter is longer than the previous ones, but it was necessary. So this is the first time we see that the perfect life of Eva and Jonathan is broken by the crime that has been escalating into Gotham. After this, it isn't as happily ever after as it has been. Soon, I should be getting into the actual 'Batman Begins' plot. Thank you!


	6. Numb

I love my reviewers. Deeply. You are all the reasons why I keep writing. This is the longest story I've continued on here and I hope it will go all the way to the end. Maybe a sequel? Talk about thinking ahead! But anyhow, in this chapter, there is obviously a glitch in Jonathan and Eva's relationship that wasn't there before. Also, something changes in Jonathan as well…

Chapter Six: Numb

Jonathan could immediately tell that something was wrong with Eva. He did not blame her; her life had just been threatened and she had a nine millimeter pistol to the back of her head. Of course, he could understand that. What he could not understand was why Eva was suddenly going out of her way to ignore him. For the first time he had known her, she was keeping something from him. All he wanted was to comfort and console her, after all, he was almost done with his training to become a psychiatrist; it was in his nature to want to know what was bothering his fiancée and help her. But at the moment, she was not opening, as she had not been for three days now. Sure, she would hold his hand and say "I love you" but the usual sparkle in her eyes was gone. Just by being around her, Jonathan could sense the difference. Lovemaking was not the same, for Eva's passion and fire were not there.

When he held her hand or kissed her lips, Jonathan could feel the fear trembling through her body. For the hundredth time, he tried to reassure himself that it was only a side affect of what had occurred in the park, but this was too much. So in his head, Jonathan formulated a plan.

In the morning, when the two awoke and were lying in bed, he would carefully lean into the subject. 'Sweet and simple,' Jonathan thought to himself, but once he thought it, it didn't seem like anything was going to go back to being sweet and simple. All the young man could do was wait until morning crept along…

--

His nerves were running haywire.

Jonathan had never felt nervous about talking to his fiancée about anything and he expected this day to be no different. But, he was nervous. He had awoken around three thirty in the morning and had been lying in bed ever since. At around seven, the first rays of sunshine began to creep into the bedroom. He turned his head to Eva, assuming she was asleep. When he looked over at her, he was surprised to see her eyes, wide open, staring back at him. Had been awake the whole time as well?

Eva pursed her lips together and flipped herself onto her back, her eyes burning holes into the ceiling.

She began to speak, Jonathan assumed to him and commented, "You've been awake since three thirty this morning, Jonathan."

Jonathan gave a look, not really to anyone in particular, just a look that said, "Damn."

He replied, "How long have you been up, then?" By the rustling sound the sheets had made, Jonathan figured she had shrugged and it was clarified when Eva replied, "Since two."

Jonathan was going to start the somewhat long speech he had put together in his mind for quite some time now. As if Eva knew what he was going to do, she snatched the words out of his mouth and spoke them for herself.

"I know you've been wanting to talk to me since," she paused, recalling the painful incident in the park, "… since what happened." Eva slowly sat up in the bed her and Jonathan shared and, holding the sheet to her chest, she tugged on Jonathan's hand, urging him to sit up with her. She explained, "I owe you an explanation or two. I have a story to tell."

So Jonathan obeyed. When he was sitting next to her, Jonathan looked at her face. Her usually brilliant eyes were clouded over with memories, of memories he had not yet discovered. So Jonathan waited. Eva's petite hand grabbed Jonathan's and she took a deep breath.

She sighed and said, so quietly, "Everyone has demons they must face…"

"I lived in England until I was eighteen, you know that. I told you I left England for the States to study," she bit her lip, "That was only the half truth. There was something else, something more powerful than that that made me leave there."

Jonathan's heart raced. What was she hiding? The thought that Jonathan had been so good at knowing if Eva was hiding stuff from him fled from his mind immediately. He braced himself.

An emotional Eva continued, "The summer before I was due to leave, I was leaving an opera in London. I was with my brother, Jamison and his daughter, my niece Angelia. We took a back alley out, only to avoid traffic. Angelia was only eighteen months old at the time. I was holding her back, my arms laced with Jamison's. All of the sudden, this guy… he jumped out nowhere. He had a gun, a gu—he wanted our money, so Jamison just gave him the wallet, no big deal. And then…" Eva began to bawl.

Jonathan immediately secured his arms around her and held her. Her story was reminding him about something that had occurred a long time ago, when he was only a boy, maybe nine or ten…

Eva continued, her breath unsteady and wavering against Jonathan's bare chest, "He had the gun at little Angelia's head… Jamison attacked him, screaming "Don't touch my child, my sister, my family…" Then the gun… it went off and Jamison…" Eva sobbed, weeping for her late brother, "He was lying there, just… Goddamn it…"

Jonathan kissed his future wife's head, wishing he could steal her pain away, She quietly continued, "He turned the gun back to Angelia and I. I wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt her. The bastard had just taken her father away; she wouldn't lose an aunt, either. So, I ran forward, saw the gun pointed at Angelia, turned backward and felt something sear through my shoulder," the crying had stopped, "He shot me in the shoulder."

Jonathan's eyes widened. He cautiously moved his eyes over to Eva's bare back and brushed his slender fingers over her shoulder blade. For the first time, Jonathan noticed a pale pink broken circular wound on her back. Rage filled him.

"But," Eva needed to finish, "I kept running until I contacted him. I was running with so much force that I knocked him over. I turned back around, kicked him in the balls, did the same with the gun, which was still in his hand. It flew across the alley. With Angelia, I ran out of the alley, grabbed the gun as I did and went screaming and hollering through the streets of London, trying to find anyone who would help me. It didn't take long… they took him away and brought my Jamison to the hospital…," At this, Eva covered her face with her hands, weeping.

Jonathan didn't have to hear her words to know what she was going to say. Jamison Daniels was dead upon arrival. Jonathan had never had a sibling, but he could only imagine what it was like to lose one so close.

"I told my mum and dad that I wasn't staying in England on any condition. So I left a month later. And I've been here for the past five years almost." Eva wrapped her arms around Jonathan and they both left themselves fall back onto the bed. With tears running down her cheeks, she proclaimed, "I can't bare to lose you like I lose my brother, Jonathan. That's what I was so afraid of that night. I love you too damn much."

Jonathan's eyes screamed love and compassion, "And no love can match what I feel for you, Eva. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you that night."

"Nor do I."

The two lay together for ten minutes. Finally, peaceful sleep overtook them and they slept late into the later afternoon.

--

Jonathan awoke late into the afternoon. He had slept a good part of his day away, but at least the secret that was weighing Eva down came out. Eva had always reminded Jonathan to look on the bright side of things when he'd get stressed about having "wasted" an entire day. He thought about what Eva had told him. He came to the conclusion that he was not the only person in the world who had lost someone dear to their heart. And to be right there, to see your loved one be killed…

Jonathan closed his eyes at the thought of it. He turned to glance at his sleeping future wife. Her face was calm and peaceful, somewhere behind the barriers of logic. She was up in the stars, sleeping with angels and she would awake soon enough to be with him again. Jonathan smiled at her affectionately.

But then, his mind traveled to something he had thought about before…

While Jonathan was still attending elementary school, he recalled something that had been in the news constantly for a year, perhaps more. The owner of Wayne Enterprises, Thomas Wayne and his wife, Martha, had been shot, murdered on their way home from an opera. Their young son, Bruce, heir to the entire family fortune, had been there to witness it all. Much like Evangeline and her niece, Angelia had… Jonathan got a sudden chill to his bones. The scenario oddly resembled Jamison Daniels' death. Strange thoughts began to weave themselves into the psychiatry student's mind. Could the two murders have been related? Jonathan immediately shook his head.

"No!" he muttered to himself. He then thought, 'It's too far fetched; the years are so far apart. Eva's family devastation occurred five years ago, while the Wayne massacre happened fifteen years ago. Eva's tragedy occurred an ocean's distance away and the Wayne tragedy, here at home. And Bruce Wayne had mysteriously vanished from the face of Gotham about…' Jonathan's body froze. 'Five years ago.'

Jonathan ventured over to his cabinet under his sink. There rested an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel's. Slowly, he took out the bottle, opened it and smelled the liquor, his nostrils flaring in disgust. But, for the short relief it might be able to bring, Jonathan took a long swig of the burning liquid, not even bothering to plug his nose. After drinking, Jonathan put the alcohol back in its place and took a seat in his La-Z Boy recliner. His thoughts really went nowhere, except for the story Eva had recited a few hours prior, the Wayne family murders and the growing crime rate in Gotham City.

--

I don't really know about this chapter. But I felt I had to get some background on Eva and what has happened to her and why she decided to leave England. Because I know if I ever lived in England, I wouldn't live it for the world. I'm sorry for the delay, but I've been surprisingly busy lately. Thank you reviewers! You are the sole reason why this story is even alive. Metaphorically, of course.

Much love.


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